Loosely Stitched
by tangorocks98
Summary: A year after the kishin was released, life marches on. The DWMA's anniversary party commences, and Stein comes with Marie, hoping to erase the bad memories from last time. But will Medusa still occupy his thoughts? SteinXMarie and some SteinXMedusa.
1. Chapter 1

Stein held his arm out, crooked at the elbow, as Marie slid her arm through. He stared ahead, not looking at her, but at the entrance of the party.

"Ready?" she asked, a bubbly expression on her face. Stein put out his cigarette on the nearby wall and gave her a half smile.

Lord Death, fully recovered and peppy as ever, stood on the stage, with his son on one side of him in an impeccable white and red suit, and the death scythes, including Marie, flanking his other side. "Hey-a! Hi-ya! Wazzzup, Wazzup, Wazzzzzzzzuuuuup? Kid here wanted to say a little something, so please do listen! Take it away, Kiddo!" Lord Death bounced away, giving his son the full presence on stage. Stein exhaled a short, good-natured laugh. How was it possible a son and his father could be so different? Stein frowned. It was one of the many mysteries he hadn't solved. _Maybe if he could just take a closer look, see what in their anatomy was different, see how the shinigami species functioned on the inside_…Stein grabbed his arm, stopping himself. The madness was gone, but sometimes, faint reminders could set it off again. Especially anything to do with…Medusa.

Marie gave Stein a concerned look from the stage. She saw the way the faint glimmer of mad curiosity flash across his face, and she couldn't help but to worry. After all, the last DWMA anniversary party was not a night anyone wanted to remember. But for Stein it was the hardest. Every little sight, sound and taste here reminded him of Medusa, and she knew it. While precautions had been taken this time, setting up guards and transporting Lord Death's mirror into the venue, she knew the memories were what everyone feared.

When Kid had finally finished his speech, Marie stepped of the stage, advancing toward Stein. She laid her hand on his shoulder. He didn't look up. "Stein," she said, a mild reprimand. He quickly jerked his head up. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His irises danced around, like those of a paranoid animal. Noticing Marie, he stopped and gave her a fake, sad smile. Marie nervously looked away, a faint trace of a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

She hoped Stein's sanity would survive the night.


	2. Chapter 2

The band played a sweet, low song as Marie and Stein performed a box step, slightly turning as they danced, their hands entwined. Stein's hands were clammy, not because he was nervous, Marie was sure, because this wasn't the first time they had danced this evening. She coughed quietly as the song ended and he began to slink away. "Stein, is everything all right?" she said cheerfully, trying to mask her worry.

He put his hand to his forehead. "Everything's fine Marie. I just had a little too much champagne, you know?" He laughed and began to walk nervously away.

"Stein. Both of us know you haven't had anything to drink tonight," Marie said, scolding him.

Stein chuckled. "You're too smart for me Marie, you know that? That would've fooled any other…." He paused. A monochrome image of the murderous expression on Medusa's face as he admitted his lie flashed in his mind. His knees began to shake. He heard her laughter like the faint buzzing of a television set; it was in the distance, barely detectable amongst noise, but still present.

The shriek of a bow drawn across the strings of a violin brought him back into the present. Marie was sitting down, her legs crossed; her eyes were focused on the plate of caviar and smoked turkey that she was eating from. Stein extended his hand towards her.

"Care to dance?" he asked once more, and after Marie took a tiny swallow of her food she stood up and followed him to the dance floor. She looked sad, and a bit nervous. "Don't worry. I'm not _that_ insane," he said jokingly, but it only made Marie turn away more. _Why couldn't he understand her feelings?_ He reached towards the screw on his head and cranked it once, twice. "Marie, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine," he said reassuringly. Marie looked him in the eyes, an expression of disbelief on her face.

"How do I know that Stein? You told me that last time, and you went completely insane! I didn't do anything to help you. It's my fault…I didn't do anything! I have to protect you, Stein," Marie sniffed. She drew close to him, her face pressing up against his chest. They swayed together, their souls connected, and for a brief moment they both forgot. The song switched to something more peaceful, yet eerie. Like a deep, endless sea. They began to drift, far away from the shore, but closer together. Marie lifted her chin, her hands tracing their way down Stein's jaw line. She drew him close, their lips almost touching. Stein remained still, frozen in the moment, his eyes hidden by the reflection of his glasses. The world was peaceful for a brief moment.

Stein looked down for just a brief moment, and Marie stared back up at him with her radiant brown eyes…_or were they yellow…they were turning yellow_….

_Marie's face began to change, the soft angles of her face turning harsh and cruel, her beautiful blond locks twisting into a braid, while two black arrows burst out of her back, and twisted slowly around her, like snakes….Snakes. The witch's mouth formed a soft noise, barely comprehendible. But it grew louder, stronger, fiercer, "Join me. Join me. Be mine. Change with the world. Drown in the river, Stein….sink into it's depths with me…" _

Stein opened his eyes to the present. He stared at the filthy creature that had tried to kill her own son, the disgusting witch that deserved to burn. He quickly grabbed her around the neck, holding her up high to prepare to strike the foul monster in the face. A tiny shriek interrupted him. He looked right into the eyes of the witch-no, Marie. It was Marie, not Medusa. He immediately seized his hold on her. She fell to the ground, clutching her newly bruised neck, gasping for air. The party had stopped, and the students stood, looking on in horror, while the Death Scythes surrounded him, already in their fighting position.

"I…", he choked, looking at the pained expression on Marie's face, "Have to…go." Stein ran from the room, grabbing his arm to stop it from twitching uncontrollably.

The DWMA students watched as Stein fled the scene. Maka stared on with a pained expression. "Professor Stein?" Soul grabbed her shoulder, looking towards the door, obviously as frightened as she was.

Was the madness coming back?


	3. Chapter 3

Stein bent over the edge of the concrete wall, overlooking the night that had fallen on Death City. The many buildings were all lit up like a thousand souls wavering in the cool breeze. A light wind whipped his face. He turned to see the doors of the party still open, but Spirit standing in the entrance, watching him warily. Stein chuckled and turned away. This had happened before, hadn't it? But the gates were closed. _The fog memory tiptoed its way back into Stein's head. Once more, the fog materialized, Spirit's face began to morph…_ Stein steadied himself on the rail, noticing how he had begun to lean towards the edge. Spirit took a step forwards, noticing how close Stein was to the edge. _Insane or not, they were still friends._

Stein regained his sanity for a brief moment and walked away from the wall, resting on a wooden park bench close to the entrance. Spirit had clearly lost all interest and was now staring at Maka longingly_. He allowed himself to drift into his subconscious…_

Marie was propped up on a velvet couch, almost fully recovered. Luckily, she had sustained no real damage. But he was so close to delivering the electrical blow he had once before, when they were battling in Medusa's lair. Though her injuries were mostly flesh wounds, she could not stop crying in the fear that he had truly wanted to do some real damage. Most of the students were crowded around her, their worried expressions clearly visible. Marie realized that she was the adult in the situation, and spoke through her tears, "You all don't need to worry about me. Professor Stein is just a bit rattled. Go have fun, Ms. Marie will be all right."

Skeptically, the students began to drift away, occasionally looking back to make sure she was truly okay. Azusa stood protectively close to Marie, her glasses flashing in anger. "That psychopathic idiot…" she murmured under her breath. Hearing her seething murmur, Marie wanted to make sure that she didn't cause anyone distress. Marie blew into her handkerchief and looked up at her. She smiled and said, "Now, I'm sure he didn't mean to do it, Azusa. He still has symptoms from the madness and you really shouldn't worry. He's perfectly-" she was cut off by a glare that radiated malice.

"Don't keep hiding your head in stupidity, Marie. He's not perfectly fine! He just tried to kill you. That insolent idiot can't stop wanting to dissect things for a second! I can't believe him!" Azusa yelled, drawing the attention of the students, and Lord Death, who bounced over, oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

"Now, now Azusa. There's no need to worry. Professor Stein will be just fine. Now, let's just kick back and enjoy the music!" Lord Death singsonged, his voice carefree. Azusa pointedly turned away, still boiling with fury.

Suddenly, an inhuman cry of fury resonated from outside.

Stein was lying on the ground, his eyes back in his head, a grimace of pain on his lips. He appeared to be at war with himself. Marie tore past the crowd, screaming his name the whole way. She pressed herself against him, and closed her eyes, allowing herself to travel in to the labyrinth of his mind.

_And with a splash, a second body fell into the black river._


	4. Chapter 4

_The viscous black liquid gathers in clumps around the scientist's feet, slowing his journey to a destination not even he realizes. The fluid pours from an unknown source, but continues to gather. It folds on top of itself, growing denser and denser with each new layer added. With shock, the scientist realizes the black liquid has traveled past his waist. His journey has been slowed to a standstill, but the liquid keeps pouring. It flows rapidly, and frantically he lashes out, trying to free himself. But his feet stick, frozen solid to the bottom of the river. When he tries to lift his arms, dark, seemingly possessed tendrils lash his arms and tie them back down. The river has now reached his chin, and the liquid fills his mouth, a rubbery substance that coats his lungs. The smell of blood reaches his nose, drowning out his other senses. All he can see, all he can feel, is the blood. It pours into his eyes, blinding him and ripping away his glasses. It covers his scalp, and he is completely submerged in the darkness._

_A voice cries out, faintly, "Welcome to insanity, Professor Stein."_

_And with that, the last bit of air leaves his lungs. _

_Darkness has fallen._

"_Good night."_

_His eyes reopen._

Black and white tiles stretched in all directions, sealed in by a writhing darkness on all 4 sides of the room. A faint thumping noise was resonating, causing the floor to vibrate weakly. Stein's breath turned a frosty white in the frigid air of the room. An unsettling chill settled on his bones. He stood in a disbelieving silence for a few seconds, taking in his surroundings. From the corner of the room, a sound materialized out of the darkness. The pad of bare feet on the floor approached, slowly growing louder. Stein cocked his head towards the direction of the sound, and noticed a dark silhouette pacing towards him, gliding gracefully over the tiles. The figure came to a halt in front of him, and its physical features began to become clearer.

"I knew you couldn't resist me for long, Stein. After all, your first love was, and always will be insanity," a cruel female voice called, sneering. Her face shaped itself into harsh angles, and a swath of blonde hair materialized around her head. She approached the shell-shocked man, her fingers tracing his face, drawing him in close. "Did you miss me, love?" Medusa whispered, as her face contorted into an expression of superiority. Stein shook away the shock, and pushed her back.

"It's impossible for you to have returned again, Medusa. That genie hunter should've killed you. It did, in fact. I saw it with my own eyes." Stein growled, assuming a position of defense. Electricity began to dance across his palm. Medusa threw her head back, cackling.

"I would've thought a scientist like yourself could figure out how I'm here. Are you losing your touch, Stein? Becoming soft?" Medusa mocked, a cruel smile drawn across her lips. Stein rushed forwards, smashing his fist against her chest. His hand fell right through, unbalancing him and sending him tumbling. He regained his footing, a puzzled expression on his face.

"You're a representation of my insanity, like those times before," Stein realized, "I can't hurt you. I'm virtually powerless here." He stood up straight and pulled his glasses out, allowing them to settle on the bridge of his nose.

"All I can do is wait."

Medusa smiled. "Glad you figured it out. But there's one thing you don't realize." She took another step towards him, pressing against his chest. She looked up with a sly twinkle in her eye. "This is my world. I can do whatever I want to you."

Stein's eyes widened, and he tried to frantically step back, but he was paralyzed. Medusa opened her mouth, and a small arrow-like snake crept out of the corner of her mouth. It writhed briefly, and then turned its attention to Stein. It rushed forwards, plunging into his chest, and Stein fell to the floor, hacking. His mind began to become clouded, and he closed his eyes. Seconds later, he was being rushed into the past.

_Stein was in a vividly green forest. A creek swirled around his bare feet, and a faint breeze stirred his hair. It was a warm summer afternoon, and the cackling sun hung high in the sky. Spirit and himself were taking some time off of their classes, staying at a cabin they had rented on the outskirts of Death City. Spirit was inside, calling Kami Albarn, yet again. Stein had gone outside for some training. He busied himself trying to move his soul wavelength from hand to hand. He was concentrating heavily, trying to get it to circulate throughout his whole body. Suddenly, a faint giggle broke his concentration. The electricity fizzled out. Stein let out a sign of exasperation. _

"_Spirit, I've told you a thousand times not to interrupt me while I'm concentrating," Stein snapped. He turned around, expecting an immature protest from the young scythe. Instead, he was confronted with the sight of a teenage girl. Stein raised his eyebrows briefly, and then waved towards the cabin. _

"_If you're looking for my friend, he's in there. But he already has a girlfriend." Stein said, dismissively. The girl giggled, and came into clear view. She had short blonde hair with a braid down the front, and donned a black hoodie and miniskirt. She wore no shoes. _

"_I don't really know your friend. I just saw you playing with your soul wavelength and decided to check it out." Stein's eyes widened. How did she know about souls? He hadn't seen her at the DWMA before… _

"_Are you a student at the DWMA?" Stein questioned, examining her. For a brief second, a flustered look came over her. Then it passed, and she wore an unreadable expression. Stein narrowed his eyes. This girl was different. She seemed a little… off, quite like himself. "Answer my question." The girl took a step back, then spoke in a much more devious way than before, "There's no fooling you, I see. I don't actually go to the academy. I just know quite a bit about meisters and weapons. You in particular, Stein. I've been watching you for a while now. You have an incredibly strong soul wavelength. I can tell you're at the top of your class."_

_Stein took a cautious step back at the mention of his name. Why was she flattering him like this? Was she some kind of witch? He had never seen a witch act so…human. Still, he had to be careful. Stein ran forwards, grabbing her wrist and drawing her close. "Are you a witch?" he breathed, his voice strangely calm. The girl gave a brief smile and then shook her head. Stein released her. As soon as he did, she grabbed the back of his neck. He felt paralyzed, helpless. She leaned in close. _

"_You're more stupid than you come off as, aren't you?" she hissed. Her face was horribly contorted, filled with evil intent. "But still, you are one of the most powerful meisters at the DWMA. I desire that power. And I always get what I want in the end," she whispered. Then, forcefully, she steadied his head with her hands, and pressed her lips against his own. It didn't last long. She quickly dissolved into a storm of arrows, and flew away, into the sky. He wouldn't see her again for almost a decade, but she kept true to her promise. She did take him as her own. And now, she was trying to do the same. _

Stein awoke from the past, still crouched on the ground in front of Medusa. "See?" she hissed, "You've always been mine. And I'm not about to let you leave so easily again." An arrow sprang from behind her, steadying itself towards Stein. "You will be mine. I can make sure of that." The arrow readied itself, and began to plunge downwards towards its target. Stein braced himself for the pain, knowing this might be the end.

_Clank._

The arrow was deflected. In front of Stein stood the blockade that had saved his life. Marie looked down with warm brown eyes. "We're going to get out of here alive, Stein."

The battle had commenced.


	5. Chapter 5

Marie stood protectively in front of Stein, one of her hands transformed into a hammer. "You will NOT hurt my meister any more than you already have, witch Medusa." Marie said, her voice wobbling with anger. Her arms were spread and shielding his paralyzed body. Medusa smiled a cold, sharp, smile.

"Oh, the poor little girlfriend can't accept that Stein has fallen into my hands once again. You should realize that the dark side attracts him. Insanity is his calling. You claim to be his best friend, yet you don't see what he truly desires. How pitiful," Medusa sneered. Marie sniffed, holding back tears. Medusa smiled with her yellow eyes piercing into Marie's. For a second, Marie looked as if she would begin to sob, but instead she clenched her fist, and turned her head away from Medusa.

"You're lying." She growled. Medusa narrowed her eyes, and spoke in a voice without the previous ridicule. "Excuse me?"

Marie faced her full on, now yelling. "You're lying! I won't deny that Stein may be insane, but he's so much more! He's one of the most considerate, appreciative people I've met! He has a damaged soul, I know, but it's one of the most beautiful souls I've seen. I…I used to love him… and I think I still do."

Stein crinkled his brow in confusion. "You never told me t-" he wondered, but was cut off by Marie pressing her head against his shoulder. "Remember?" she asked, in a soft voice, "I do."

_A younger Marie stood at the academy doors, her heart fluttering out of control. She wore her hair in a French braid, and donned a yellow pleated skirt and a black tank. Red roses adorned the steps of the DWMA, and a white banner stretched over the doors. Azusa looked up at it with distaste. "Valentine's day…" she muttered, "What a pointless occasion." _

_Marie let out a gasp of horror. "Azusa! Valentine's day is all about the beauty of love! And just because you're single today doesn't mean you're going to be single forever? Right? Right?" Azusa looked her over. _

"_By this point I assume you are just trying to reassure yourself." Marie delivered her a swift punch to the cheek. Azusa recoiled, rubbing her sore cheekbone. "Thanks a lot Ma-" she grumbled, but was cut off by a sharp "shh!" from Marie. The scythe meister Stein was walking past, with his weapon Spirit. Stein had a quizzical expression on his face, casually observing the decorations laid out for the holiday. He rolled his eyes, and pushed the doors open, not seeing the swooning Marie on the steps. Azusa raised an eyebrow. _

"_Him?" she asked quizzically. Marie nodded, blushing violently. _

"_I know he likes me, but he's just really shy. Maybe if I make the first move, he won't be. Maybe he'll accept the valentine I made for him, and then he'll ask me out, and we'll be together forever and-" Marie rambled, but she was cut off by the bell for class._

_He swished past her in the hall, bumping her shoulder roughly as he passed. He turned around, a shocked expression on his face. "Oh, sorry Marie. Didn't see you there." He said apologetically. "Yeah, um, sorry." She said to the floor. A pensive look crossed his face, then vanished. He gave her a casual smile. "Well, see you in class," he said, and turned to leave. "Wait!" she shrieked. The valentine was burning a hole in her hand. He sighed, then turned around. "Yes?"_

_Marie looked the valentine over in her palm, remembering what she had written. It suddenly seemed so pointless, so pathetic. Maybe Azusa was right. Maybe this whole game was pointless after all. She was a petty fool for believing they could ever be together. He was tall, handsome, at the top of his class, and undisputedly the most considerate person she had ever met. And Marie was a socially awkward hopeless romantic. The valentine crumpled in her hand. _

_Stein shook her out of her daze. "You wanted to ask me something?" he said patiently. "Oh, uh, just wanted to know how your Valentine's Day was going." She said, a false smile plastered on her face. Stein seemed puzzled at her motive but casually shrugged and said, "It's been okay." Marie let out a pleasant laugh as he began to slowly drift away. She had lost her chance. And…now she was alone again._

_Hours later, Marie laid splayed on her bed, her eyes red, her mouth still open in disbelief. Her thoughts bounced around in her skull. Perhaps she should've given him that letter, but again, maybe she made the right choice. She read again and again what she had written. _

_Dear Stein,_

_ I think that you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Every time I talk to you, it raises me up. You are one of the greatest friends I've ever had… but maybe that's not where we should leave it. I want you to be a part of my life. I can't go a second without thinking of you, and though I'm being stupidly bold and hopeful right now, and this may ruin our friendship, I'm being honest. I want you to be my Valentine. _

_Marie_

_She was right, it was too bold. She would probably scare him off, and then not only their chances of a relationship, but their friendship would be ruined. It was better for them to stay like this… Separate. But if it was the right decision, why did it hurt so much?_

_Stifling her tears, she went to the window, and pulled open the screen. A faint breeze stirred her hair, and the letter fluttered papilionatiously. She began tearing, and with each part that was pulled into the breeze, she lost a part of herself. When the letter was gone, she stared impassively up at the clouds. "Goodbye, Stein." _

But that wasn't the last time she would have a chance with him. She had now.

"My meister can't fight right now," she yelled, "but that doesn't mean I can't! This is his mind, so I can still fight you. And when I win, you'll see you're wrong! He can be salvaged!" Medusa laughed an awful crescendo. She adapted a fighting position. "I'd like to see how long you last without your meister. My bet is 10 minutes. However, that's just to be safe. I highly doubt you'll last five."

Marie smiled. "We'll see about that." She rushed forwards, bring her hammer arm into contact with Medusa's ribcage, sending her soaring backwards with a blast of her soul wavelength. "Remember, I'm a death scythe," she threatened. Medusa bounced off the back wall, onto the ground, and drew herself up using one of her arrows. She pushed off into a run, sending several of her snakes flying towards her. Marie reflected several, but one got past and scarred her cheek, causing her blood to splatter. Marie gritted her teeth and steadied herself. She smashed her arm into the floor, causing electricity to flow under the tiles and to Medusa's feet. She shot up in a bolt of blue static and slid back violently. When she skidded to a halt, her hair stood on end, and her hands still shook from the shock. Medusa snorted with anger and began to move her hands in a mesmerizing fashion. "Snake, snake, cobra,cobra," she chanted. Two obsidian arrows glinted in the pale light of the room. Marie didn't have time to react. They plunged down, honing in on their target.

_Squelch. _The arrows found their target, and Marie fell to their floor, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. _Thump, thump. Thump, thump. _

"**MARIE!"**


	6. Chapter 6

The world spun, and dizzying colors flashed in front of Marie's eyes. The stab wound was deep, and it stained her dress an unsightly read. She stumbled for a few seconds in disbelief, and then fell to the ground with a dull thump. She coughed weakly into her hand. A faint red mist splattered across her palm. From the angle Stein was frozen in, he was only able to see her backside, and the devastating wound that punched clean through her torso. "No..." he managed to choke out through his utter horror. A single tear traced down his face. He heard a snort of disgust from above, and felt a sharp jab in the ribs.

"I was right. You _have_ grown weak." Medusa sneered, looking disdainfully down the bridge of her nose. "Crying over a pathetic fool like that? Pitiful. No, not even that. _Despicable._" She delivered another swift kick and this time it hit him squarely in the jaw. His face twisted into a grimace. "What's wrong? You won't fight back?" she cackled. She continued to batter him with various kicks and punches, not intending to cause him any real harm, just drive him to the breaking point. Once he broke down, it would be unbelievably easy for him to fall into her clutches once more. Or, more accurately, the grip of insanity.

A faint cough came from Marie's direction. "She's still alive…" Stein murmured. He closed his eyes and focused on her soul. It was the same powerful size it was before, but its once electric yellow pigment had faded, and its edges were flickering. Medusa looked over her shoulder and regarded the injured Death Scythe distastefully. "I was originally going to finish her off, but I decided you would enjoy this more if I let you watch her die. Watch Stein. Watch as she bleeds to death and you can't do anything about it." Medusa laughed wickedly, throwing her head back. Stein racked his mind. There had to be something he could do. Anything! This couldn't be the way it ended. The first time insanity had pulled him in it wasn't this tough to escape. But now…after he had thought of all the theoretical possibilities, it seemed hopeless.

The madness sensed his loss of faith. It peeled itself off of the void-like walls of the room and approached him steadily. The feeling was invisible, but Stein knew it was there from the biting cold he felt, and the characteristic breathy voice of insanity. Suddenly, he had the feeling he had slipped, even though he remained in the same place. A wide, maniacal smile stretched across his face, despite himself. Medusa looked on hungrily, knowing she had succeeded. Stein suddenly found the whole situation hilarious. He convulsed with laughter, his torso shaking violently. Marie, barely conscious, allowed the tears to flow down her face. She had lost him again. And in the process, she had lost herself as well. Maybe she could try to talk to him, console him out of the madness. But no, if Medusa heard, she wouldn't hesitate to end her life then and there. Marie realized there was only one option left.

Soul Resonance.

Stein heard a sweet melodic voice rise above the chaos that engulfed his mind. _"Stein? Can you hear me?" _Stein attempted to nod, but his neck was stuck in place. So instead he spoke back in his own mind's voice. _"Yes. Please help." _Because his mind was in tatters, it took quite a bit of effort to reply. His forehead creased with the strain. _"I need you to calm down. I need you to breath deeply. I'm going to connect our souls. But it won't work unless your mind is cleared. I could get hurt unless you keep your mind blank. OK? Can you do this?" _Stein struggled to suppress the clutter that crept its way through his mind. The dark thoughts retaliated with a painful screech that only he heard. Sweat dripped down his face from the effort of fighting the invisible entity. The shadows gathered around him in a dark spiral, attempting to encase him. Stein gritted his teeth, holding back the insanity as long as he could_. "Do it now, Marie."_ He felt their connection like a pulsating wave, drawing their souls together. Her weakened soul took shelter within the powerful connection they had established. A wind only they could feel stirred their hair and clothes. Slowly, Marie levitated off the ground, like a puppet on strings. Her eyes glowed a pure white, fighting off the shadows that grew at the edge of the room.

"What the-?" Medusa yelled. Too late she realized what their strategy was. An electric pulse shot towards her, sending her tumbling back. Medusa smashed into the back wall, but quickly steadied herself. "I hope _that's _not what you're going to try." She said shakily, masking her fear. Marie's skin glowed with a pale light, and the air around her crackled with static. Another pulse of white light directed itself towards the witch. Medusa retaliated by sending an arrow towards the attack. Both attacks dissolved with a scorching explosion. Stein braced himself against the powerful wind that the explosion produced. Marie grimaced in anger, and charged towards her, jumping into the air and slashing downwards. Marie flew backwards and lashed out with her fist, missing, but sending electricity sprouting from her knuckles. Medusa landed in a cat-like position, balancing her weight evenly.

Marie flew forwards rapidly, and they collided, creating another detonation. The match was a stalemate. They weaved back and forth, dodging and retaliating. Medusa did a flip, suspending herself in the air for a brief moment. "I'm tried of this." she hissed. Medusa turned herself towards the incapacitated meister, focusing her attack in his direction. "Vector Arrow!" she screamed, "Times 3!" Dozens of small obsidian arrows sprang from her palms. Without hesitation, Marie threw herself in front of him, taking the full force of the attack. The majority of the arrows were dissolved by the powerful aura that surrounded her, but several plunged into her chest. "Gah!" she screamed. The arrows felt like sharpened knives.

"Marie!" Stein yelled with newfound energy, "Soul Resonance!" Marie gave a nod of comprehension and focused her energy. She bowed her head in concentration and clasped her hands in front of her chest. The white aura that had surrounded her was drawn in. Suddenly, her head whipped forwards. "DEMON HAMMER!" Marie and Stein screamed simultaneously. A hologram of a gigantic hammer surrounded Marie, and it shadowed her actions. "Judge's Gavel!" Marie yelled, and with ferocity, the hammer swung itself down on Medusa. Smashing her forcefully into the ground. The floor splintered around her, and the shock of this caused Medusa to lose her grip on Stein. He fell over, relieved of his paralysis. Shakily, he righted himself. "Marie," he murmured, "Weapon mode."

Marie transformed into a hammer, and flew into Stein's hand. He paced steadily over to the incapacitated Medusa. "I'm in the position of power now, Witch Medusa." He said casually, looking down on her. Medusa smiled with narrowed eyes. "Indeed you are," Medusa said weakly. Stein rose the hammer high above his head, preparing to strike down and finish her off. Medusa closed her eyes, bracing for impact. "Goodbye, love." She murmured. Stein hesitated for a brief second, but brought the hammer crashing down into her chest. His soul wavelength spread from the impact site, and she convulsed for a brief moment before bursting into a bloody black rain.

Marie returned to her human form, and rushed towards Stein, sobbing frantically. He held her close to his chest, and she curled her head under his chin. He looked off into the void pensively. Stein would never forget Medusa. But he could move on now. He looked down into Marie's soulful eyes. She needed him as much as he needed her. This was typical of weapon and meister pairs, but their own bond was much more than that. And finally, he realized that. He remembered the day almost a year ago where he had declared he would never feel love, but perhaps he was wrong.

Marie drew herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Stein pressed his lips against her own. It felt soft, warm. All the shadows that had previously threatened him dissolved in a new light. He drew back, and looked at her clearly. Maybe, he thought, maybe he could love after all. Bright light consumed the two of them, and they were thrust back into the waking world.

The mad scientist was all put back together again.


End file.
